In a statement released on Friday via the social media platform X, the Turkish Foreign Ministry criticized Katz's post, which targeted Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran last month, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The ministry described the post as "slander intended for disinformation purposes."

“These lies, aimed at diverting attention from the genocide taking place in Gaza, will not hinder our support for the Palestinian people,” the statement asserted.

The condemnation comes amid continued international criticism of Israel, which has been accused of ignoring a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire. Israel has been conducting a brutal offensive against Gaza since a Hamas attack in October last year.

Since the start of Israeli genocidal aggression, over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, and large portions of the territory have been destroyed. The region remains under a severe blockade, cutting off access to essential resources like food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel is currently facing genocide charges at the International Court of Justice, which recently ordered the country to halt its military operations in Rafah, a southern city in Gaza where over 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the ongoing conflict before it was invaded on May 6. (ILKHA)